The sobriquet Most Faithful King (Rex Fidelissimus) was a title awarded by the Pope as spiritual head of the Catholic Church to a to Portuguese monarchy.
The title remains attached to monarchs descended from whoever received the original sobriquet. The sobriquet can be awarded to either a king or a queen.
The only European monarchy that has received the sobriquet Fidelissimus was the now-defunct monarchy of Portugal. King John V of Portugal was favoured with the title of Rex Fidelissimus in 1748 by Pope Benedict XIV.
Famous quotes containing the words faithful and/or majesty:
“Be always faithful to me, as I always desire to keep you in peace; and if there have been wiser kings, none has ever loved you more than I have.”
—Elizabeth I (1533–1603)
“If magistrates had true justice, and if physicians had the true art of healing, they would have no occasion for square caps; the majesty of these sciences would of itself be venerable enough. But having only imaginary knowledge, they must employ those silly tools that strike the imagination with which they have to deal; and thereby, in fact, they inspire respect.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)